Florian Müller, the research‑policy spokesperson for the CDU faction in the Bundestag, cautioned that the 500‑million‑euro funding for post‑infectious conditions such as Long Covid may set expectations too high. “Basic research takes time and perseverance” he told the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland (in its free‑issue edition). “We cannot assume that concrete results will be available in one or two years that can immediately help patients”. The pharmaceutical industry also needs scientific findings before it can develop targeted treatments.
Müller believes that simply announcing the funding will trigger a change in public mindset. “We are making it very clear that we take the suffering of those affected seriously, and that the federal government is now bringing together the strengths of science and industry to tackle post‑infectious diseases like Long Covid and ME/CFS” he said. He added that this will signal to society that these illnesses deserve recognition.
“The pain caused by post‑infectious conditions is unimaginable” Müller said. “The extreme helplessness of patients is especially tragic because the disease is often not taken seriously and psychological problems are assumed instead”. He stressed that this has eroded much of the public’s trust in state institutions, a trust that must be rebuilt.
On Friday, Federal Minister of Research Dorothee Bär (CSU) will present details of the “National Decade Against Post‑Infectious Diseases”. In Germany, it is estimated that between two and three million people suffer from Long Covid and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Many affected individuals reject the commonly used terms “Chronic Fatigue Syndrome” or “Chronic Exhaustion Syndrome” feeling that they downplay the severity of the condition.